Would you like that meal to be 'frack-free' or 'fracked'?

I live on a sheep farm in Byaduk, in South West Victoria, Byaduk, I'm a wool and lamb producer.

Our farm is covered by PEP 150; Petroleum Exploration Permit 150.

This is a licence to explore and potentially mine for unconventional gas (UCG) on my farm and all those around me (PEP 150 alone covering 3,253km2) keeps me awake at night. I have grave concerns not only for my lifestyle and my family, but for food security here in right across Australia, agriculture in Victoria and its’ wonderful clean and green reputation. I have been working tirelessly for over two years now in an attempt to make sure this industry never gets approval here; I have organised community meetings and subsequent surveying of entire communities, I have contributed to community consultation process held in the middle of 2014, I made a written submission to the parliamentary inquiry which the Andrews Government held, and also presented at the Hamilton inquiry hearing in November 2015.

One of my main concerns with this proposed carnage of agriculture in Victoria’s south-west, and right throughout Victoria, is the economic balance, or lack of. This land has been farmed since settlement, and was described in the 1836 diaries of Major Thomas Mitchell as the “Australia Felix” (meaning “fortunate Australia” or “happy Australia”). It will continue to be farmed into the future for generations to come, providing clean produce for domestic and export markets.

On the other hand, there is gas. A gasfields’ lifespan ranges from 5 to 30 years, however 5-15 years is the average. It is known that the workers on a gasfield are specialist fly in fly out workers.

This industry carries many risks and our food security and farming communities need protection, as it is clear that the two industries are not compatible and therefore cannot coexist; the agricultural industry has more to lose than gain.

there are roughly 1500 dairy farmers in Western Victoria, and the industry employs a further 6,000 people via the processing sector

in 2013/14 Western Victoria produced around 2.1 billion litres of milk, accounting for approximately 23% of national milk output (Dairy Australia).

from 2011/12 to 2013/14, south-west Victoria has been the highest producer of sheep, lambs and wool in Australia,

from 2011/12 to 2013/14, south-west Victoria has been the highest producer of cattle and calves in Victoria,

from 2011/12 to 2013/14, south-west Victoria has been the second highest producer of whole milk (second to West Gippsland, another region that is earmarked for UG mining) nationally.

We can’t produce food and fibre without water. Why are we allowing our water supply to be put at risk by the possible development of an onshore unconventional gas industry? Surely this long dry spell which has gone on for more than seven months now, has highlighted our dependence on high quality water resources. We need to maintain our water quality to produce premium quality food and fibre for both domestic and international markets.

Gas companies have not made a case for why Victorians should go down this path. It is a dangerous, toxic experiment that has no place alongside agriculture. Agriculture is a long-term industry, whereas UCG is short-term and puts the clean and green image of our region at risk.

Nationally, Gross Agricultural commodity production from Victoria’s south-west is ranked as follows:

In 2011/12, south-west Victoria was the 6th highest producer of agricultural commodities in Australia (3rd highest in Victoria), out of 53 regions, producing agricultural produce to the gross value of $1.578 billion.

In 2012/13, south-west Victoria moved up to being the 5th highest producer in Australia and 2nd highest in Victoria, grossing $1.711 billion.

In 2013/14, south-west Victoria moved into 3rd position in Australia, top agricultural producer in Victoria, grossing $1.942 billion in agricultural commodities!

It isn’t hard to see the trend in these figures, which come direct from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (75030DO002_201314 Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia, 2013-14).

Surely these figures would convince anyone that agriculture and unconventional gas mining cannot coexist. I urge every Australian to think about where you want your food to come from – an economically viable farm which produces clean, uncontaminated produce, a farm that will employ people for generations to come, or a farm that has multiple gas wells on it, that use a plethora of chemicals which the mining industry does not have to tell us about. I know which option I would be going for!

The Victorian Government have to power to stop this industry before it begins. We each have the right to tell Premier Andrews, and his Government, to not be the villains, but to be the heroes in this tragic story, so all Victorians can leave this nightmare behind us once and for all, and be thankful that we have a responsible Government that saved Victoria from certain death.

3
Comments

Hayley

I'd like our meals to be Frack-Free please. Thanks all the same. Aggie, my heart goes out to you and all the farmers of Victoria for being placed in limbo for so long now. Anyone who is educated on this industry is only too aware of the insanity of it all. I wonder why our leaders are so blind as to not see thorough all the spin..... I pray for the day that this toxic industry is banned outright. It is the ONLY answer for Victoria, and Australia as a whole.

Elizabeth Jordan

Wonderfully informed and convincing article Aggie Stevenson. Surely all Australians who access this will think about the future of food in this country for themselves and their children. Goodness knows Australia has little enough water and productive land without laying threat to what we have by condoning these filthy, short term industries. When will we finally realize that we need to elect governments who look to Australia's future beyond their three year terms.